Medway June 8 1864

 

To Mr and Mrs Swarman

My Dear Afflicted Friends.

                    My illness prevented me from sympathizing with you at the funeral of your little son—and kept me confined at home, when I heard of the renew^d stroke in the removal of the beloved daughter.

           

I have thought of you constantly since and of your home made doubly desolate by the sad changes which have come so suddenly upon you. I would gladly share with you the heavy burden if I could thus alleviate the grief which you now feel. I love to commend you to him who does "not afflict willingly" "Nor grieve the children of men"—: but whose very judgments are mingled with mercy—and who chastens us for our profit that / "We may be made the partakers of his holiness". We may go to him in the midst of all our trials & feel that he is our father; & pour out our hearts to him with the assurance that he will hear and bless. He has declared in his word "call upon me in the day of trouble & I will answer" :And when pressed with the burden of our sorrow, we may go listen to the precious promise "Cast thy burden upon the Lord & he will sustain thee". When the Patriarch was called to give up all his children and be stripped of all earthly possessions he could say "The Lord gave & the Lord hath taken away: blessed be the name of the Lord".

 

My desire & prayer is that you both may find this same sweet resting upon the Lord and feel that he has done all things well in regard to those loved ones whom he has taken so / early to himself. I think of his goodness in sparing you to each other tho he has taken the little ones. May you long live to comfort & bless each other and find by your experience that "these light afflictions are working but for you a far more exceeding & an eternal light of glory" and that by securing in you "the peaceable fruits of righteousness" will result in your highest & best good. With kind regards & deep sympathy I am yours truly

 

D. Sanford

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